As her mind swirled with thoughts, she tried to convince herself that it was all real because the way Ben made her feel, it felt like a dream. He had been a perfect gentleman the entire night, and now with a sweet kiss, she doubted it could get any better.
While secrecy had been a cloak she found comfort in, Katherine suddenly felt the desire to strip the layers away and reveal the true self she had shielded from everyone all these years. There was something different about him, and she found it fateful that the two had met with all of the layers of security she had placed throughout her life.
While it was only a few seconds, their kiss took Katherine’s breath away, leaving her wanting more when Ben finally pulled away. Without a word, he sat back into his seat, smiling sheepishly as he stared across the picnic table with lust in his eyes.
Katherine could sense that he wanted her, and it was beyond exhilarating to be desired by a man as attractive as Ben. Dressed so casually, the bearded chin accentuated his effortless style. Her eyes roamed over his chest, wondering how defined his muscles must be to press against the pressed cotton of his white button up shirt.
Everything tasted better after brushing her tongue against Ben’s and Katherine found it difficult to focus on anything other than the gorgeous man sitting across from her. It was all surreal, yet she never wanted it to end.
“It tastes better off of you,” Ben broke the silence as he glanced between the dessert and Katherine’s blushing cheeks.
When her mind failed to draft a response, a set of teenage girls arrived at the edge of the picnic table. It was just the bail out that Katherine needed. “You can sit here,” she announced, motioning towards the end of the table.
Ben, refusing to follow her eyes, remained trained on her side view as she smiled brightly at the teenagers looking to Ben with googly eyes. Her stomach was filled with nerves, and she found every reason not to face him, knowing how deeply those bright green eyes could see.
The girls continued their conversation, carrying on as if Katherine and Ben weren’t even there. In that silence, they stole every glance available, finishing the crepe in silence before Ben rose, taking the empty plate as he made his way to the brown garbage can.
Without thinking, Katherine followed, climbing around the wooden bench as she smiled one last time to the young girls, silently saying goodbye. Extending his elbow towards her, Ben offered assistance and Katherine happily accepted, looping her arm through his before following him as he moved down the cement sidewalk.
With the sun went much of the crowd, leaving a fraction of the food trucks and crowds they attracted. Even with the festivities slowing to a stop, Katherine wasn’t ready for the night to be over. Thinking back to the first time she saw him on that fateful day when he barged into the bakery ready to buy a dozen pastries.
He was as carefree and confident then as he was parading her through the food truck festival that evening. The more she could remember of their first encounter, the more certain she was that it was his demeanor that first attracted her.
Katherine was used to handsome men pursuing her, as it was something she had experienced since her early teens. What made Ben so appealing was how easily he seemed to embody what she so desperately desired—peace.
Unlike most people she knew, Ben moved at his own pace, with extreme flexibility she had grown to need after living on the road. He wasn’t caught off guard or disgusted by her request for casual dining. In fact, Ben appeared to have been planning for a casual evening a
ll along.
He moved with such confidence, Katherine didn’t second guess her choice to follow him. After being forced out of the only city she loved, and thrust into a life of running from constant danger, it was a welcome change of pace to slow down and enjoy life instead of watching it pass her by.
Just then, a kid whizzed by on a bike, startling Katherine, who tripped into Ben’s comforting arms. For what felt like an eternity, he looked deep into her eyes, contemplating his next move. With pleading eyes, Katherine silently expressed the longing that burned deeply from the pit of her stomach.
She wanted more of him, and deeper than their earlier peck. What Katherine craved was intense, and from the look in Ben’s eyes, she knew he could deliver. His jaws tensed as he fought back his own desires, until he could take no more.
Reaching with hi right palm, he gripped the nape of Katherine’s neck, pulling her to him as their lips collided in a passionate embrace. Her eyes closed as she tried to savor every second, relishing in the flavors of his tongue. Ben was dangerous with his seduction, causing her body to bend towards his, seeking pressure in all the right places.
It was as if the two of them were in the park alone, silence surrounding them. When Ben’s hands found her body everything else dimmed, leaving only the chemistry that sparked between them like faulty electricity.
When a soft moan escaped her swollen lips, Katherine pulled away, abruptly ending the embrace as she put two feet between them. It was too much, the way her chest rose and fell with exhaustion, her heart racing like she’d run a marathon. Ben was too intense, and she could admit she couldn’t handle whatever it was coursing through them.
“Slow—I need to take it slow,” Katherine finally spoke, out of breath.
Ben watched her closely, the left side of his mouth curling up as he heard her explanation. Moving quickly, he pulled Katherine back to him, wrapping his strong arms around her as he rested his chin on the top of her head.
She felt safe and protected in her arms. It was a freedom she forgot existed, the freedom of fearlessness. On the run from Tim, she was constantly terrified of what he would do and who he could have sent her way. It was rare that she wasn’t looking over her shoulder, but even when she was out of danger, she worried about the next possible attack.
There, in the middle of a popular park, with Ben, Katherine was at peace. It was refreshing and alluring all at the same time. She wanted the moment to last forever and made sure to hold on to Ben as long as possible. When he finally released her, she longed for his embrace again, although she knew slowing down was the best course of action.
“Do you think we can take it slow?” Katherine asked.
Slowly, Ben gripped the nape of her neck again, directing her sight to him as he looked down with a caring grin. She could sense the connection between them growing, certain she wasn’t making it up on her own. Bringing the backs of his two middle fingers to her face, Ben gently caressed the back of her cheek before leaning down to kiss her lips ever so softly.
“We can crawl like snails, sweetheart. It’s whatever you want, Katherine,” Ben pledged, kissing her softly one last time before taking her hand in his, resuming their walk throughout the park as if nothing had happened.
It was the most incredible evening for Katherine, who felt to be floating on clouds as they made their way across the bright green grass. The crowds continued to thin as the food trucks departed, leaving Ben and Katherine to themselves as they finally left the park.
“Is your place this way?” Ben asked.